New York is my Favorite Place
by SmileyGirl86069
Summary: Haley Page is a normal teenage girl who meets a not so normal family while on vacation. Who knew she'd meet them at the zoo? Find out how she saves Raphael and forms a bond that will last a lifetime. Stay tuned, for this is a prequel! (Also, this is a mix from the 2003 cartoon and the 2007 movie!)
1. Dedication

**Dedication/Explanation page**

 **HELLO EVERYONE! I know, it's been forever. I am so sorry for not updating in almost a year. Truth is… Monday is the anniversary of my dad's death. I've had a year to grieve, but now it's time to start living my life again. So let me explain what's gonna happen… I'm deleting the sequel for why me and changing the ending of why me. I've grown up a lot since that story, and I'm ready to try new things. I'm writing a new story, which is really a prequel to the one I really can't wait to do. I just wanna thank all of you for being patient. I promise to update when I can, but it is my senior year. I have so much going on this year, including getting a job and (hopefully) college classes. I'll update when I can, I promise. In the year and a half following Why Me, one of my fans soon became the little sister I never had. We write stories for fun together. She's always there for me and I'll always be there for her. So, to honor her and my dad, I am dedicating this story to Ally and my dad. Keep living baby sis! And daddy, rest in peace. I know you wouldn't want me to stop doing what I love. I love you both!**


	2. Chapter One- Glass Cage

New York is My Favorite Place

Prologue

Do you believe in destiny? Fate? I never did. To me, fate was always something you controlled. Nothing was set in stone. But then I learned… fate was a funny thing. Who knew that when my family decided to go on vacation to New York, that my fate became sealed. A very special family would cross my path and our lives would become forever intertwined in this game of life. They would help me through the worst time in my life, and cheer me through the best. They'd become my family… but that won't happen for a while. Focus on what's happening now, because this little twist of fate, our lives will change forever….

Chapter One- Glass Cage

Ah! The Big Apple! The City that Never Sleeps! New York! Call it whatever you want, it's all the same amazing place to me. From the tall buildings to the hustle and bustle of everything, I loved it all. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always imagined myself living in New York. I always saw myself as an undercover reporter, a fedora on my head and a trench coat collar pulled up to hide my face. Just like in the old black and white movies. Until that day came, I'd have to settle for just a vacation, but my was it turning out great so far! I mean we've been to the Statue of Liberty, the American Museum of Natural history, Wall Street, and basically any other tourist trap you could think of. We couldn't hit everything, sadly, like see a show on Broadway. We couldn't get tickets. I should explain we, huh? By we I mean my mom, dad, and two brothers. One older, one younger. Then there was me, the middle child, also the only girl from the three kids. We're a small town family who lives in the middle of nowhere in Michigan. I think that's why I've always been so interested in New York. There's so much to do here! In my town, we had a two screen movie theater that always played movies after they came out on DVD and a bowling rink. And forget about decent shopping! We had a Walmart and some rinky dinky stores on Main Street. That may be okay for some people, but not for me. The bigger the better!

Today was our last day in the city until we visited the more relaxed part of the state, which was what my parents wanted. You see, I got to plan our trip! And the only way my parents would allow our trip to be to N.Y.C is if we could visit the country side. Anyway, the five of us were in Central Park, well more specifically, the Central Park Zoo! You'd think I'd be living it up right now, being the last day in my favorite city of all time. Well… you'd be wrong. You see, this is the summer before my older brother, Matthew, leaves for college. He's basically my best friend. He's always there for me and he'd do anything for me. Back in September, he was accepted to a college an hour away from home, so I thought he'd still be close by. He's actually leaving for Tampa University… 23 hours away. And he decided to spring this on me today. And apparently, EVERYONE else knew this, but kept it from me. I stormed off in the opposite direction of them. It's not necessarily the fact that he wanted to go to Florida for college, it's the fact that everyone lied to me. So here I hid, cornered away on the far side of the zoo, hidden away. I was technically at the Turtle exhibit. That's okay though. No one else was around. It was nice, actually. A big maple tree was draped over the path, giving me shade as I relaxed against the wooden poles. Secluded, quiet, beautiful. I watched as the turtles swam around in the water or relaxing on the logs they sunbathed on. I smiled softly as I reached out to one.

"Must be nice to be a turtle. No worries, no brothers to lie to you or disappoint you," I murmured pulling my hand back into my lap.

"Maybe we could trade places? You ever wanted to be human?" I joked, my eyes drifting to the old building that sat almost parallel to me, not too far away. It was an observatory/ gift shop that was built in the 1930's. It was open to everyone until the renovations in '88. That was closed down and the tropic zone was built in front of it. I guess they never got around to tearing it down. I'm glad they didn't. It was beautiful. One side overlooked the small pond, the wall being completely made out of glass. Now, ivy grew all around it. Even now, it was beautiful. I still wish it was open. If it was that's where I'd be. Thoughts zoomed around in my head as curiosity sparked in my eyes before I bolted up.

"I wonder what it looks like from the inside," I hummed, leaning over the bar, as if trying to get closer without leaving my spot. I bit my lip as my mind went back and forth, but curiosity got the best of me. A sly smile spread across my face before I my feet guided me away from the turtles and to the hidden path I knew was around here somewhere.

"I bet it's through here," I smirked parting a group of bushes. In front of me was a beaten down path, slightly overgrown with weeds and vines. I searched for any onlookers, but when I couldn't find anything, I took my chance and darted down the path before anyone could spot me. Little did I know, fate was leading me right into its trap, my life about to collide with another's.


	3. Chapter Two-Red

Chapter Two- Red

As I approached the building, you could tell it had been forgotten over thirty years ago. The wooden was rotted and overgrown with ivy and vines. It looked like it was about to topple over and in some areas you could see mouse holes. None of that bothered me. The thing that really troubled me though… were the muffled voices I could hear from the other side. One sounded angry. I frowned and looked to the side of the building, spotting a window as I did. It was covered in moss for the most part, but there was enough of a window to peek through the window. I smirked and slinked through the woods, trying not to make a sound until making it to the window. I peered through the small space that nature had left open. My eyes widened only slightly when I saw him. The turtle man with amber eyes that looked as if they contained the sun, a red mask surrounding them, hiding the anger burning inside him. He was bound in chain, two men in black guarding him. The turtle man was trapped, and for some reason, I didn't scream like someone else might. No, I felt pity for him. I could sense the goodness in his hard eyes that glared at the men holding him captive. His mouth was moving, so I guess that's where the yelling was coming from. So much power from one turtle. Things slowed down only a moment when his golden orbs met with my green ones. Something sparked within me, and it was then that I knew what I had to do. I had to help him, despite any dangers that laid in my way. I brought my fingers to my lips. He seemed to understand, giving only the slightest nod. One you couldn't catch if you weren't paying attention. I nodded back.

"Alright Red, let's get you out of there," I whispered before pulling off my backpack and searching the contents until I found the thing I was looking for. A lighter. I smirked as a plan came together in my head. I dug through a little more until a water bottle found its way into my grasp. I smirked before running around to the other side of the building as silently and quickly as possible. You see, I've been studying New York since I was a child. I knew where every Central Park exhibit was without even looking. And when I found old pictures of this place, it showed another entrance on the other side. I snickered as I kneeled down on the path and began to set up my little trap. You see, I figured this out a while back when I'd explore the ten acres I live on back home. You set up a mini campfire where you want to lure your target, soak the ground around the fire so it can't spread, and then hide. In this case, I'll be hiding with a big stick. I sighed as I set up my trap about five feet away from the door, and after making sure all the ground around where the fire would go was wet, I lit the sticks and leaves. A smirk spread across my face and my heart beat faster before I found the biggest stick with the small amount of time I had before hiding around the corner nearest the door. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Just like softball Haley. Smack him into a homerun. Knock him out of the park," I whispered to myself before hearing the squeak of the door open. I peered around the corner, only to find one of the men wearing black walk out to investigate.

'Now's your chance,' I encouraged as the door slid shut. I nodded to myself before running at the man. He turned and before he could do anything, I smacked him in the face as hard as I could. Apparently it was a good hit. It knocked him right out. I let out a small laugh.

"Well looks like all those years of Softball paid off," I chuckled softly before throwing the stick to the side and pulling him around the corner of the building. Biting my lip, I kneeled down and searched his body for anything useful. In my mind, useful meant keys or any sore of object that can be used as a weapon. I hummed softly as I found a key tied to a string around his neck. I yanked it off and nodded approvingly. Just in time too. The door opened for the second time.

"Round two," I mumbled, grabbing the stick and slowly slinking to the side of the building. I glanced around the corner. My eyes narrowed with a smile.

'Bingo,' I nodded. I let the door close before running out at him. He was a bit faster than the one before. He held his arm up, blocking my attack and shoving me to the ground. I fell with an oof before getting back up, holding the branch in defense.

"Beat it kid. Forget what you saw," he told me. I let out a cocky laugh and blew a piece of my blonde hair out of the way.

"Fat chance of that. A Page never gives it. It's sorta the family motto," I told him. He somehow managed to make himself look bigger.

"Whatever blondie. You asked for it," He huffed before running at me. I jumped out of the way, dropping the branch in order to trip him. I laughed softly. I guess it pays off having an older brother who was on the wrestling team and liked to practice his moves on you. The man fell to the ground, face first. I smirked and wacked him with the branch as hard as I could before dropping it on him. I made quick pace to the fire and stomped it out before running to the door. It opened with a squeak as I ran through. That was when turtle man's eyes landed on me and I finally heard his voice clearly.

"I didn't tink you'd actually get in," he grumbled, a Brooklyn accent showing itself. It's just how I'd imagine one. I shrugged as I ran over.

"Always expect the unexpected Red," I mumbled as I unlocked his chains with the key. He rubbed his wrists as I undid the ankle cuffs.

"Now tell me how someone like you got in here? Don't tell me the zoo's getting a new exhibit?" I joked. He huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't get yer hopes up toots," He spoke, his rough voice echoing the now quiet room. I unlocked the last ankle brace, making him completely free. He ran to the other side of the room to a duffle bag. I stood up, wondering what he was doing. It was then that he pulled out two weapons. They looked like giant forks, but anyone who's researched ancient weapons could tell you those were sai's. He spun them before placing them in his belt.

"Dat's betta," he smirked as if I wasn't here before his eyes found themselves connected with mine again. At this point, I could get a better view of him. His skin was a pine green and his muscles were huge. Red was about an inch or two taller than me. I was only about five foot seven.

"So blondie, why'd ya save me? I'm sure yer here wit someone else," He asked. I shrugged.

"Let's just say I needed to get away from my family," I sighed. He looked out the window and groaned.

"Well yer gonna have ta get away a litta longa," he frowned running to the door and locking it. I ran to the other one and did what he did.

"Why?" I asked. He sighed and looked around the building.

"Dose ninja you say, yeah dere surrounding us," Red frowned. My eyes widened slightly.

"I thought there were only two?" I asked with a slight glare.

"Dey're part of a ninja clan! Dere's always more!" He growled before looking around, "Dere has ta be a way outa here."

"Well this place was a gift shop when it was first built, and I know there was a bathroom in the building. Maybe there's a way out through the bathroom?" I suggested, recalling anything I could about this place. Red looked to me and then to the door that led to the bathroom. I followed fast after him, waiting in the door frame as he searched. He moved a trash can, smirking at what he found.

"Here. Dis is how we're getting out," he told me. My nose crinkled at the sight.

"A manhole? To the sewers?" I asked. He nodded.

"Where else would it lead ta? Candy Land?" He asked moving the lid. I frowned.

"Why don't you go through there and I'll sneak out the front?" I asked, taking a step back. He shook his head.

"Don't ya dare blondie. Dey know you helped me, meaning dat dey won't just let ya go on by. And even if ya manage ta sneak away back to whereva yer family is, dey'll find ya and put yer whole family in danga and frankly, I don'y feel like savin yer ass lata when I can save ya now," He explained walking over with harsh eyes. I crossed my arms.

"I don't need saving Red," I smirked. He growled and threw his hands in the air.

"Ya know what, now ya don't have a choice!" he growled throwing me over his shoulder. I yelped before he walked to the manhole and climbed down, one arm holding me as he did.

"Do you even know where you're going?" I asked. He rolled his eyes that glowed in the darkness that we were now surrounded in.

"Yeah. I live in da sewers, but I ain't taking ya to da lair. We're goin to a friend's house so you can call yer family ta pick you up from dere," he told me. I groaned.

"Fine, just set me down. I'm not a damsel in distress," I grumbled. He sighed and did so.

"Good. I didn't wanna haul yer ass anyway," Red smirked before leading to wherever he had in mind. God I hope this doesn't end like a horror movie.


	4. Chapter Three- Raphael the Navigator

Chapter Three- Raphael the Navigator

Red led me through the sewers, trudging along for what seemed like forever. In reality, it was probably only about half an hour, which is plenty of time for my parents to start to worry. Turtle man walked beside me, but I couldn't tell if he was old enough to be considered a man. His features were younger, almost the type you'd find on a teenager, but they seemed a little older too. I'd guess between fifteen and twenty. The two of us came to a stop when we reached a fork in the tunnels.

"Which way Red?" I asked as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. He frowned.

"Why do ya call me dat? Ain't ya gonna ask my name?" he asked looking at me. I shrugged.

"I dunno, does Red bother you?" I giggled. He sighed and crossed his arms.

"No, I just think you shoulda asked my name by now," He told me as we continued on. A small smile came to my face as my phone turned on, lighting the path.

"Well then turtle man, what's your name?" I asked as I checked for signal.

"Raphael," he grumbled. I looked over, curiosity on my face.

"Like the renaissance artist?" When I asked, his eyes flicked over to me, amusement hidden in the golden orbs he had.

"Yeah, like da artist. My fatha named me and my brotha's after dem," Raphael shrugged. I giggled and crossed my arms behind my head.

"Oh, so turtle man has brothers and a dad?" I mused a cluster of other turtles filled my head.

"Yeah yeah, three of 'em. What about you blondie? Anyone I should be worried about?" he asked as I followed him left.

"I have a mom, dad, and two brothers. One older, one younger," I shrugged. He nodded softly before we came to three different sewer tunnels. Raphael growled softly.

"Dammit," he griped under his breath. Rolling my eyes, I went to my Google maps app, giving me out current location.

"So Raphael, where are you taking me?" I questioned, beginning to wonder if he actually got us lost. He led us down the middle pipe.

"A friend's house," he sighed.

"And what's the address?" I asked, waving my phone in front of him. He groaned softly.

"Just look up Second Time Around. It's an antique shop. My friend owns it," he admitted. I giggled and looked it up. I found the address and typed it into the app before finding directions to get us there in the shortest route possible. I nodded before handing my phone. He grumbled softly before we turned right, finally in the right direction.

"You know Raphael, you should be a navigator."

"Shut it blondie."

"Hey Red, you never asked my name."

"Oh yeah? Den what is it?"

"Haley." He smiled softly, somehow still keeping his grumpy demeanor. I smiled back before we continued to the shop in silence.


	5. Chapter Four- April's Place

Chapter Four- April's Place

After getting on the right path, it didn't take us very long to get to the shop. We were silent the whole way there and it wasn't until we reached a manhole that he spoke.

"Here's yer phone. Lemme check ta see if dere's anyone in the alley," he grumbled tossing me my phone. I caught it and slid it into my pocket as he climbed the ladder. Raphael lifted it up as if it was nothing. His eyes darted back and forth before he pushed the manhole out of the way.

"Come on," He called jumping up. I climbed the ladder as fast as I could before I sprinted to the door where Raphael was. I opened it and let him into the shop. I sighed before closing the door and moving the manhole cover back. As I looked into the distance, I knew I was in trouble. The sun was already setting.

"Has it really been that long?" I wondered before the door opened back up.

"Blondie, let's go!" he called. I glared slightly before running in after him. My eyes drifted around the antique shop. It was so cool. I mean, we had a few of these on Main Street back home, but something about this place was much cooler. I looked at Raph as he walked to the stairs.

"Yo! April! You home?" he called walking up the stairs. I quickly followed behind him. The staircase led to an upstairs apartment. And that's when I spotted a redheaded woman looking surprised, but relieved at the same day.

"Raph! You're okay! You had everyone worried sick! It's been a week. Where have you been?" She scolded like an overprotective mother before bringing him into a hug. He groaned, but hugged back.

"Da foot captured me afta I stormed out da otha night. Den dey held me at da zoo," he chuckled as he backed from the hug and sat on the couch. The woman crossed her arms.

"The Zoo? I wonder why they took you there?" she thought aloud. Raphael shrugged.

"Dey said somethin about havin a few foot dat work dere I guess," he told her. I smiled and walked up a bit more.

"Aren't you forgetting something Red?" I asked, making the woman turn her head and look at me. Raphael groaned.

"April, dis is Haley. Haley, dat's April. Haley helped me get outa da zoo. I made her come along so da foot didn't follow her. And now she's gonna call her parents," he told me, a smirk on his face. I grumbled and climbed up.

"I'll get to that soon. Besides, I'm sure your brothers and father would love to hear from you," I smirked walking over. April looked between us and laughed softly before handing him her cell phone.

"She's right Raph. Call them. You, follow me," she agreed before pointing at me. I sighed and followed her into the kitchen. She grabbed a water from the fridge and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I smiled before taking a sip. She nodded.

"No problem Haley. Now, why were you at the zoo today?" she asked. April seemed calm, but I could tell she was being protective of Red. She wanted to know if she could trust me. I could tell by the tone in her voice.

"I was with my family. We came to the city on vacation. It's actually been a dream of mine since I could remember. The Central Park zoo was our last stop here before we headed to calmer part of the state and visit a few Battle grounds. My dad's a history buff," I explained truthfully. I had nothing to hide and I wanted her to know that. April nodded softly and leaned against the counter beside me.

"Where are you from then?" she pushed gently. I smiled.

"The little, boring town of Fremont, Michigan. Baby food capital of the world," I sighed. She chuckled softly.

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that. It's just not the place I would've chosen to live. I mean, when you've lived there your whole life, it gets dull after a while," I shrugged before taking another sip. April crossed her arms nonchalantly and nodded.

"Which is why, I'm guessing it's been a dream to come to New York?" she asked. I raised an eyebrow with a soft smile.

"Are you a psychic?" I asked in a hushed tone, leaning in slightly as I did. She leaned in too.

"Women's intuition," she whispered. We both laughed lightly before I sighed. That's when Raphael walked in and handed April her phone.

"Dey'll be here in a few. Yer turn blondie," he sighed. I nodded and took out my phone before walking to the couch and sitting down. My fingers glided across the touch screen as I glanced over the speed dials, trying to decide who to call. My eyes landed on my big bro's number. Sure, I was still a bit upset with him, but at least he can't ground me. I shrugged before clicking his name and calling him. I lifted the phone to my ear and waited. Matt picked up on the second ring.

" _Where the hell are you_!" he shouted into my ear, making me hiss.

"Yell much!" I griped. Matt huffed.

" _Well I wouldn't yell if I knew where you were. We looked all around the zoo for you and we've been waiting at the exit for twenty minutes. Dad's at the hotel checking for you. Now where are you?_ " he grumbled. I frowned and sighed softly.

"Look, I'm sorry for worrying you all, but I'm not at either of those places. I'm at a little antique shop called Second Time Around," I sighed softly. I could see the frown on his face now.

" _And you're there why?_ " he asked. I rubbed the back of my neck and laughed nervously.

"I'll tell you when you get here," I grumbled before I hung up. A sigh escaped my lips before I looked to Raphael. He smirked with a chuckle.

"Well I'm in trouble," I grumbled. April rubbed my shoulder.

"It'll only be for a little while. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to call Casey. He's been playing vigilante all week looking for you. Better tell him you're okay before he gets himself killed," she sighed before walking out of the kitchen. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Raphael.

"Casey's another friend of yours?" I asked. Red chuckled and nodded.

"And her boyfriend. He's a bonehead," Raphael shrugged. I giggled softly before looking down at my feet.

"What'd you tell your family?" I asked softly. He sighed and shrugged before walking to the fridge. He pulled out a soda and cracked it open.

"I told dem what happened and ta come ta April's," he explained. I rolled my eyes with a groan. That is a total guy answer. He gave a slight glare as we walked into the living room. I could hear April talking on the phone downstairs in her shop. I walked to the windows and looked out. My family shouldn't be here too soon, but you could never be too careful.

"So, what are ya plannin ta tell yer parents?" Red asked as he sat on the couch and turned on the tv to a baseball game.

"Well I don't think I could tell them about you. Even I can see that there's too many risks to chance it. I dunno, maybe I'll just tell them that I wanted to explore on my own and ended up here," I grumbled before walking over. I slid my backpack off before sitting down next to Raphael. My eyes glanced at the TV and I couldn't help but smile. Baseball was my all-time favorite sport, hands down. I've been playing softball since I was in third game. Actually, the first thing we did when we got here was go to a game. That was number one on our list. And I may be a Michigander, but my loyalty was to the Yankee's. I glanced at the turtle man as he sipped on the coke, deep thought crossing through his eyes.

"Do you trust yer family?" he hummed softly after a few minutes of silence between us. I nodded.

"I trust them with my life. I can tell them anything," I stated. That was something I loved about my family. Anything I told them was between us. What happens in the family, stays in the family. He nodded with a grunt before going silent again. I sighed and watched the game. I heard footsteps against the metal stairs of the spiral staircase, connecting the store and the second level. April appeared, a soft smile on her face.

"Well Casey's on his way over. I guess we just have to wait," she sighed. I nodded and pulled my legs against my chest.

"Yep. Just have to wait."


	6. Chapter Five- Friends and Family

**Sorry about the super long delay! When I started doing this, I went into my last year of High school while also doing college classes. I underestimated the workload and I'm super sorry! I'll try to update sooner, since I get out May 12th and graduate High School May 22! And I've got my college classes already worked out, so it'll be great! Well, here it is! New Chapters soon to come! Promise!**

Chapter Five- Friends and Family

I was never the patient one, so knowing that I was going meet Raphael's family left me impatient. I mean, this is like something out of a book! Something that never happens to people like me, or at all really. My anxiety was growing as time ticked by. Red watched the game while April typed away at her laptop. This went on for about ten more minutes before a knock on the window made me look up. Raphael smirked with a sigh and stood up. The window slid open and three turtles, one after the other, jumped in. The three were followed by a rat.

"Raph!" they chorused before hugging their brother. I giggled softly as I observed the three other turtles. Their color compositions were different than each other's. The thing that jumped out first was their masks. They all wore one, and each had a different color: orange, blue, and purple.

"Alright alright, get off of me," Raphael grumbled as he pushed Orange away from him. The brothers laughed softly before Raphael looked to the rat. Said rat smiled and looked at Red. I'm betting this was his dad. It doesn't very much sense, but hell, none of this does. I smiled softly and laid my chin on my knees while Red hugged this dad.

"I am glad you are safe my son," he spoke. His voice was old, but wise. Bet that comes with raising four boys. When they broke from the hug, Red rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry for stormin out when I did. It got me inta more trouble dan it was worth," he shrugged. Orange wrapped an arm around Raphael's shoulders.

"No worries Raphie Boy! You're forgiven. Now tell me, who's the girl over there?" he asked. All eyes landed on me, making me giggle.

"Dat's da girl dat helped me get out," he sighed softly, as if his pride was being damaged. I stood up and waved softly.

"Yo," I greeted. The old rat smiled softly before walking towards me.

"You may call me Master Splinter. These are my sons, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo. You have already met Raphael. I must thank you for helping my son. You do not meet too many people in this City who would help, especially if it put their own lives on the line," he told me, each of the turtles waving when he said their names. Leonardo is blue, Donatello is purple, and Michelangelo is orange. I looked down and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Well it was the right thing to do. I wouldn't want to be in that situation, so why would anyone else?" I asked with a shrug. The rat chuckled softly.

"I suppose that is true. Still, that was very kind of you Miss…," he smiled.

"Haley. Haley Page," I smiled softly. Master Splinter chuckled.

"Miss Page. You are forever welcome in my home," he cooed. I blushed softly, making Red chuckle. That's when Michelangelo walked over and circled me, as if sizing me up.

"So… how many ninja's did you take down?" He finally asked. I shrugged.

"Two, but they weren't very good ninja's if you ask me," I chuckled. Mikey's whole demeanor changed with those words. His semi-serious face relaxed as a grin that seemed much more natural for him spread across his face, his freckles showing themselves much better as he did so.

"Like, I know right! More like overgrown bullies. You can call me Mikey" he laughed, wrapping an arm around me. I laughed softly.

"Mikey it is," I shrugged. A honk from outside interrupted the light hearted conversation. I sighed and grabbed my bag.

"And that would be my parents. God I am so getting grounded for this," I muttered. What the hell was I going to tell them? I couldn't tell them about the guys. It's not fair to them, not that I think they'd believe me anyways. I guess I'll just take the fall.

"You're coming back up, right?" Mikey asked softly, hopefully, as he made his blue eyes grow big. I shrugged.

"Who knows what fate has in store," I smirked, keeping a calm face as the anxiety wrestled inside my chest. I walked down the steps. I paused a moment and looked back at Raphael. His eyes concentrated, as if in deep thought. It perplexed me, and I would have asked Red what was rolling around in that big head of his, but if I didn't get downstairs soon my parents would be barging in like the FBI. And trust me when I say this: no one wants that. So, I continued down the steps, through the darkness of the shop, and to the glass door that let me see into the night… and the family car. The door chimed as I walked out, and as soon as I did the back door flung open and my older brother jumped out. The first thing he did was entangle me in a bear hug, but with Matt, that was the only kind of hug he ever gave.

"Don't ever do that again little sister." His voice was soft and filled with worry. I hugged him back, momentarily forgetting my anger towards him. He let me go before the rest of the family was at my side.

'Haley, why on god's green earth would you leave the zoo? We spent an hour searching for you. Why must you give me a heart attack?" she asked before hugging me tightly. I hissed softly. Looks like I really did worry the shit out of them. Well I guess it was for a good reason.

"I just wanted to… explore the city on my own I guess. I mean, I saw this cute shop earlier and thought I could make it here and back with time to spare?" I told them. My mom pulled me out at arm's length and looked me over with suspicion.

"You're lying," she accused. I groaned.

"No I'm not!" I grumbled. Mom frowned and shook her head.

"You're a terrible liar. Now tell me the truth right now young lady," she demanded. I frowned and crossed my arms. I couldn't tell them the truth. It wasn't my secret to tell. I shook my head and sighed.

"I can't-" but the roar of a motorcycle engine drowned out what I had to say. We all looked over to see a muscular man get off the metal beast. Taking off his helmet, he revealed his shoulder length black, almost blue hair.

"Yo, can I help ya?" the man asked. The attention was taken off of me and turned to the slightly intimidating New Yorker.

"We're okay, thanks. We were just picking up our daughter," my dad spoke. I let out a soft sigh. The man gave us an odd look, his eyes landing on me.

"What's yer name kid?" he asked. I looked up to the second floor and saw April looking out. She let out a sigh, rolled her green orbs, before moving from the window. I bet she was coming downstairs… meaning she may have known this man. I let a small smile slip onto my face.

"Haley. You a friend of April's?" I shot back, placing my hands on my hips. He let out a soft chuckle, a smile forming on his own face.

"Boyfriend ta be exact," he told me. Oh! So this guy was-

"Casey Jones," April frowned as she walked out of her shop and crossing her arms. He smirked at her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey babe. Is dis da girl dat saved Raph?" He asked. My smile faded before I groaned, letting my head fall back.

"Red's right. You're a bonehead," I grumbled. My mom crossed her arms as my whole family now looked at me with curiosity.

"Haley. Truth. Now," mom demanded. I ducked my head and gave a nervous smile. April sighed and help the door open.

"We talked upstairs Haley. You can tell them. It's alright. Come on," April cooed, nodding her head in. I sighed softly in relief before starting for the door.

"Okay, I'll tell you, but I'm warning you now the people you're about to meet aren't exactly normal. I was startled by how they looked at first, but there's nothing wrong in my opinion. Just different. A good kind of different," I explained as I walked my family through the shop and up the stairs. Hey, I may have just met them, but I understand that their lives are a secret, and they wouldn't tell anyone if they didn't have to. And I tried to keep it a secret! But my family is stubborn. Damn those Scandinavian genes. We walked up the stairs and into the apartment, where the family of mutants had made their way to the table. My eyes met Red's and I mouthed a soft 'Thank You.' He nodded back. I held my breath as I made it up, hoping my family wouldn't make a big deal out of this. Cross your fingers and hope for the best! I moved out of the way. Nathan, who was right behind me the whole time, was the first to see them. His eyes widened and a grin spread on his face. Okay, one down, three to go. As the rest of my family made their way into the apartment, none of them screamed, which I considered a good sign. April and Casey followed up before she sighed.

"Alright, why don't we start with what exactly happened at the zoo. Haley, how about you explain," April smiled. I sighed softly and nodded. Maybe that'll help get rid of the anxiety that's building up in my chest.

"Okay, well, I was over by the turtle exhibit, near the old observatory. It had been closed down for ages. I wanted to check it out, so I found the old path and followed it. Well the closer I got, the more yelling I heard. So I peaked in one of the windows and saw Red in chains, guarded by two ninjas. I lured them out, knocked them out, and took the keys. Well after I got him free, I'm pretty sure we triggered something because a lot of other ninjas started towards the observatory. So we found an old sewer lid and Raph led me through the sewers to here," I explained with a shrug. Matt smirked at me before quickly pulling me into a headlock.

"See? All those years of dealing with me and you did learn something," he chuckled. I growled and tried to wiggle my way out of his grip.

"Matthew knock it off! I'm still mad at you," I huffed as I tickled his side, making him let go. He rolled his eyes.

"Well it's my decision, not yours," he grumbled. I huffed and crossed my arms. Well you could have at least let me know what you were thinking. Splinter chuckled softly before standing.

"Yes. What Miss Page did was very brave. She saved my son, and I will be grateful for that always, but let me introduce myself," Splinter began before introducing the turtles to my parents. April and Casey then introduced themselves to my family.

"I'm Scott Page, this is my wife Amy, and our three kids. You've already met Haley, but these are our sons Matthew and Nathan," Dad finally said. Mom waved and Matt nodded while Nathan looked on at them with big eyes. He's always had an interest in all things unusual, so the guys must have been like one of the greatest things he's ever seen.

"Can I ask a question?" he finally spoke. Master Splinter nodded. Nathan grinned before he began to ask like, five questions in a row.

"Nathan, start off with one," I told him. He frowned at me before the purple clad turtle finally spoke up.

"It's quite alright. We'll any questions you have," Donnie assured with a soft smile. Nathan stuck his tongue out at me before looking to the guys.

"Alright, are you guys mutants? Were you born like this? Or did something happen? Are you guys like the X-Men, or no?" Nathan asked. Mikey's eyes lit up.

"I wish! We're ninja's though," he grinned. Splinter smiled and sat back down in his chair. I'm glad he was calm about this whole situation. I could feel his aura flow throughout he whole room.

"It is a long tale, young one, but I will gladly tell you our story…"


End file.
